This invention relates to a process for preparing d-biotin.
Optically active d-biotin, also known as vitamin H, is a natural product found in kidneys, livers, egg yolks, milk and yeast. This compound is used medicinally to treat various dermatitis.
Biotin has been prepared synthetically by Harris et al. (Science, Vol. 97, pg, 447, 1943), Baker et al. (J. Org. Chem., Vol. 12, p. 167, 1947) as well as Goldberg et al. (U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,489,235 and 2,489,236). Many synthetic processes for the production of biotin followed these works. Some of the intermediates produced by the processes had more than one assymetric carbon atom, and a plurality of mixtures of isomeric intermediates resulted. Some of the isomers, however, could not be utilized to form optically active d-biotin. To obtain the desired enantiomer for producing d-diotin, the isomeric mixtures had to be separated into their components by costly and time consuming techniques which led to a decrease in the yield of the desired product.